


Before the Storm

by KenjithePanda



Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: Abyssal Lord Drogoz, Depression, Edgy beginning lmao, F/M, Fluff, Rating May Change, SoulEater Jenos, SoulStealer Furia, Tags May Change, Verbal Abuse, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29536878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KenjithePanda/pseuds/KenjithePanda
Summary: Saved from the brink of death by a beautiful goddess, a demon can't help but fall in love with her silent charm.But a demon could never fall for someone of a different race. It's simply forbidden, but fate has other plans.
Relationships: Io/Jenos (Paladins)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. From the Stars

_ I’m going to die. _

Pure pain. Utter suffering. Inevitable death. 

Jenos could practically hear his stomach crying. How long had it been since he last had a human soul? His vision blurred and he grew light-headed. He slipped on the mud and felt his wound tear. How long had it been since he last bled before the fight? He dug his nails into the earth and crawled forwards. A crippling sensation in his waist made him cringe. Every time he jostled the sword he felt like he was going to scream.

He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and pulled himself up. He sat against a tree and for the first time actually examined his wound. Jenos grit his teeth. He gripped the hilt. The blade stuck out of the other side of his waist. An ordinary human would’ve been killed on the spot or shortly after the wound but Jenos had been going for months now.

“Hah… ah… Zhin, you never intended on letting me live, did you? Even when I tore your limbs off you knew I was going to die…” Jenos wheezed. He was only trying to delay the inevitable. He planned on tearing the sword out. If he wanted to miraculously survive he’d need a human to come close enough for him to kill and devour, but such odds are highly unlikely. Jenos was in the middle of the Dark Forest, a place where only mythical creatures live. If any were to find him they’d likely immediately kill him.

That led Jenos to a dilemma. Tear the sword out and die an agonizing and pitiful death or draw attention to himself and be killed by some beast. The thought brought a bitter laugh to his lips. 

He wondered why no one came to help him. Surely Seris knew that he had been suffering in a forest for months. The entire Abyss probably knew, so why? Oh yeah. Everyone is probably happy he was going to die. People didn’t automatically like him just because he was an abyssal lord advisor. Honestly, that was the only good thing going for him. He spent most of his time torturing demons and humans alike.

So Jenos sat there. For the first time in hundreds of years, he feared the aspect of death. He could feel his blood running thickly down his side. He tilted his head. His lips formed into a grim smile. At least he’d die watching the stars. And then the world darkened.

\---

When Jenos opened his eyes he nearly yelled, but a firm grip kept his mouth covered. A woman was kneeling over him. Her other hand was slowly pulling the sword out of Jenos’ waist. Jenos’ gaze flicked around. The pain in his side had been reduced to a mere ache save for the occasional discomfort from the sword.  _ Am I already dead? Maybe this is the demon who’ll be torturing me for eternity. _

The woman looked back up at him. She hesitantly pulled her hand away and held a finger at her lips.  _ Quiet.  _

Jenos dug his nails into his legs. He felt blood and the pain was real. This wasn’t death. Not yet at least. His gaze flicked back to the woman. Her eyes sparkled in a swirl of blue. She had wolf ears and long, silver hair with a fluffy tail to match. Her skin was pale and smooth. She was wearing a fairly revealing dress. Jenos turned away.  _ How the hell does she not fall over with such a chest? She’s so short! _

A clang broke the silence. The sword was completely out of Jenos. “This steel is formed from magic. How are you still alive, demon?” the woman whispered. Her eyes twinkled in awe at the sight before her.

Jenos tensed. He wondered if he should kill the woman, but she clearly wasn’t human. She possessed some form of healing powers. It was better to stay on her good side until he was fully healed, then he’d devour her. 

“An old  _ friend  _ of mine struck me with the damned thing. Looks like our friendship kept me going,” Jenos scowled, sarcasm leaking into his performance.

“A demon such as yourself could never be harmed this badly by other unholy filth. The blade is simmering with pure magic. No wonder why you couldn’t heal yourself… The concentration of magic disturbed the formation of your regenerative cells. Only a human could wield such a toxic blade...” The lady’s ear twitched. “I can hear it. You’re bleeding on the inside. I may have extracted the sword and dulled the pain, though you’ll probably still die without proper treatment."

The woman surprised Jenos with her knowledge of demons and magic. “Who are you? You’re like no magical creature I’ve ever seen and you’re intelligent. You can wield magic it seems as well.”

“It is not magic that I possess, but it’s safer that you don’t know. Quiet, now. If you talk I’ll risk making a mistake and end up killing you.”

Jenos fell silent and tried to stay still. His wound itched but he knew he’d kill himself if he accidentally tore it even further. He carefully watched the woman’s hands. She delicately opened his shirt, earning a hiss from Jenos when the air hit his wound. She used a handkerchief to quickly clean the wound and set her hands on Jenos’ skin. Green light poured from her hands, bathing Jenos’ side in the healing illuminance. He could feel his skin furling and twisting and his ripped organs winding together. 

The pure ecstasy he felt after the process couldn’t be measured. Jenos rubbed his once torn skin and gaped in amazement. Months of agony gone in a mere five minutes. Despite his elation, suspicion clouded his want for celebration. Why would anyone waste their time to heal a half-dead demon? Nearly no one would be brave enough or have the skills to do it. Demons were also notorious for spreading chaos, Jenos being especially guilty.

Noticing his doubt, the lady turned away. Her ears flicked towards him. “Even if you are the embodiment of destruction, no living organism deserves to suffer. We all feel pain. That is my only reason.”

Jenos got to his feet. A fire burned in his hand. “It’s a foolish moral to live by when there are others who couldn't care less. Being killed by the demon whose life you saved is pitiful.”

She looked at him through the corner of her eye. “But will you?” There was no fear or anger or hate. Just a simple question filled with so much curiosity. 

Jenos held her gaze. With a sigh, he killed the fire and sat back down. “You dodged my question before. What’s your name? I go by Jenos.”

“Io,” she murmured after much hesitation. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

Jenos stuck his tongue out at her. “It’s safer that you don’t know.”


	2. Less than a Toy

She was unlike any creature he’d seen over his centuries of living. The way she stared off into the distance as if there was some sort of beauty only she could see over the horizon. The way she’d smile to herself at a flower blooming in a dead clearing. Her ears would swish as she swayed against the wind, listening and tuning into a silent frequency. Blood would rush to her cheeks whenever she caught Jenos staring. She would turn away in embarrassment at his soft smile, hang her head, then push her hands into Jenos’ chest, offering a gift of light that would fill Jenos with heartwarming comfort.

Being with Io made Jenos forget about his pain that had only recently faded away thanks to her unconditional kindness. Sometimes he’d feel confused and conflicted about his feelings towards the woman. He didn’t know how she made him lower his barriers. Not long ago he had plotted to kill her after he was healed, but there was something about her that somehow magically quelled the flames of rage inside his heart. 

For centuries he suffered in the Abyss. Jenos spent the start of his life in a pit which he thought he could never escape, but one day a divinity told him to climb. He tore his way through the demon ranks and rose to the position of abyssal lord advisor, but he always wondered if it was worth it. He got power and status and gained the privilege to freely traverse the Abyss and mortal realm, but still felt empty. Jenos’ true desire was to leave the Abyss for good but the shackles that bound him only grew heavier. The lord he “advised” had a cruel way with words, and the only thing Jenos could do was listen. The same divinity who started his life was the same who spilled insanity into it. It told him to direct his wrath toward humans which caused him to slowly go mad as the decades passed. He devoured countless families, never thinking much of their lives, but as the saying goes, “what comes around goes around”. 

The demon slayer sought Jenos out filled with wrath and a lust for vengeance and fatally wounded him. It was the wake-up call Jenos desperately needed. He finally realized the only way he could escape the Abyss was through death. He welcomed death with a natural fear, but the next thing he saw wasn’t hell. She was something so much more. Just watching her gently comfort a wounded deer made his stomach flutter. 

Jenos knelt next to Io. “I’ll kill it. You up for venison?”

Io shook her head. “She’s a mother. I saw her running away from a wolf with her fawn. Her fawn was eaten and now she lays here in pain, waiting for death,” She gently stroked the doe’s neck. A faint glow from her hands eased the doe’s cries, but the gashes didn’t heal. Jenos assumed Io only numbed the pain.

“If you don’t want it to die why don’t you just heal it? You healed me.”

“It was not your time. Others depend on this doe for life. Her death will be respected and honored. Look at the bushes over there.” Io pointed. Sure enough, there was a pair of eyes staring at them. 

Io pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at Jenos with a smile. “We’ve already deprived it of its meal for long enough. Come on!”

Io grabbed Jenos' hand and started running.

"Woah, where are we going?!" Jenos yelped.

"Wait and see!"

She led him to the spill of a thundering waterfall. The water was clear enough for them to see small fish weaving through pebbles. 

Io sat near the water's edge, grinning each time the water rippled from a fish touching the surface. 

"Isn't it beautiful? This is my favorite place to come to," she laughed. "No predators can hear us here thanks to the waterfall."

  
  


Jenos crept up behind her with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, it's cool. Wanna know what's better?"

"Hm?" Io hummed.

"Actually getting into the water, duh!" Jenos pushed her in. When Io resurfaced with a dumbfounded expression he jumped in with her, sending a wave of water towards her.

Io squealed in surprise at the splash and nearly scolded Jenos, but it was his laughter that made her pause. She stared in astonishment at the cackling demon only to find herself smiling. Shortly after she began to giggle too.

She'd never seen a demon smile or laugh before, nevermind make jokes. They always came off as depressed creatures whose only goal in life was to cause the suffering of others, so she didn't understand the goals of the one in front of her. Jenos was so carefree and happy. He'd always find ways to make her laugh. He was the chaos she so desperately wanted in her strict, dull life. Thinking of returning to the moon and her duties made her stomach shrink.

Why did she save a dying demon? Io didn't know. Something inside of her told her it would be worth it. Before she could convince herself to leave her hands were already mending Jenos' wounds. He looked so handsome and peaceful in his deep slumber she worried that he'd already died and she found him too late, but she breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes fluttered open. Seeing him alive made her so happy she even surprised herself. How could a demon make her feel so warm?

"...Io! Io! Geez, you've been dazing off a lot lately. What's up?" Jenos asked.

Io snapped out of it and apologized. Something bright caught her eye. A rainbow was beaming above them. “Jenos, look! It must’ve formed after we got here. All of the colors are so clear.”

Jenos looked down. It wasn’t as if the rainbow hurt his eyes. There was something he’d been thinking about for a while. “I’ve been wanting to ask you… What are you?”

_ Oh no…  _ Io froze. How would he react? Divine beings and demons had been enemies since the dawn of time. They’d waged countless wars against each other which led to the thinning of both populations. Would he despise her if she told him? Maybe he’d leave her out of disgust. She couldn’t bear to lose the one person who made her feel complete, even if she’d just met him, but if she lied and he found out he’d probably hate her even more. 

She took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. “My name is Io, Goddess of the Moon. I… I found you while I was trying to get away from my duties.” She moved closer to Jenos as she pleaded. She clutched his arm. “Please, Jenos… I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

Jenos yanked his arm away from her. “You can’t be serious… You’re joking, right?” Io hung her head. “To be screwed over by a goddess and then saved by one? What kind of sick game do you divinities play? All of this, was I just a plaything for you to laugh at then throw away? These feelings, were they just illusions you forced into my head when I was half dead?  _ Have you been toying with me this entire time?! _ ”

“No! I feel special when you’re with me. You fill my world with color, Jenos! I love your laugh and even the times you’re cruel in your own way. Before I met you everything was so dull and lifeless.”

“How am I supposed to know you’re not lying? Why didn't you tell me?” 

"I couldn't! Something told me not to…"

Jenos’ eyes flashed with hurt, and then he was gone.

\---

Drogoz slammed his fist into his throne. A growl escaped his throat and the fire between his horns blazed. He was getting impatient with his advisors. He already forbade them from leaving the fortress last week, and now he was thinking about killing them for their disobedience. Just as he started getting up a voice greeted him. Drogoz cursed.  _ How dare Furia approach me after what she did? _

“You called for me, my liege?” Furia bowed.

Drogoz glared, “Quiet, vermin! You’re still under punishment. I ordered all of you here hours ago. Where’s Jenos and Seris?” 

Furia rolled her eyes. “Seris is busy with Corvus, but it’s been months now. Jenos is probably dead, and don’t pin the blame on me. Jenos was the one who killed Zhin’s family.”

He bared his fangs at her, “Yes, because  _ you’re  _ the one who put him up to it. Now the other lords think I’m weak because I’ve lost my best advisor. I’d tear you apart if you didn’t prove your uses. You know what? I’m not even going to argue with you. Nothing I say gets through your thick skull anyways. Bring Jenos here. Now.”


	3. I Need You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a sensitive topic in this chapter guys :( I promise it gets better at the end.

Everything was still a haze. One moment he’d been laughing with her then the next he felt pain worse than the wound Zhin gave him.

_ How could I have been so stupid? As if anyone would genuinely care for me. Letting my barriers down and cozying up with a woman I’d just met… Pathetic. I’ll get over it. She never meant much to me anyway. Just something to pass the time. _

If she was nothing more than a distraction, why did his heart hurt so much? He felt like he was drowning. He couldn’t breathe and his limbs were heavy. The sounds of the forest were mute and everything seemed to be in a blur.

_ I’ll get over it… _

Then why could he only think of her smile? Her laugh was like music. Her hands were so gentle and soft. She was so kind.

He thought he was going to go insane. He’d murdered thousands of demons and humans. He specialized in torture. He never trusted anyone. He spent centuries in a glossed state of mind. It had been so long since he felt happy, and to learn that it wasn't even real? That he’d been _ lied _ to and  _ betrayed _ once again by another divinity?

“ _ TO HELL WITH IT! _ ” Jenos screamed. His hands glowed with a raging fire. He burned everything around him, ravaging all in his path. He didn’t stop until all he could see was charred black. He caught the scent of burnt flesh.

Jenos was so tired of everything. What did he kill this time? He wearily floated towards the smell. He was too drowsy to walk. He lit a bush in his way ablaze then he found the source of the smell. It was a wolf, and still alive too. It whimpered painfully as it tried to get up. The sight of the demon filled it with fear.

It reminded him so much of her, he swiftly brought death upon the creature in a blind rage. After realizing what he’d done, Jenos fell to his knees and retched. Tears beaded in the corners of his eyes.  _ Why did you lie to me? _

_ I miss you. _

Everything hurt. He could barely muster the energy to get up. What was the point of even trying? He’d just be betrayed again. There was no home to go back to. He’d rather die than go back to the Abyss.  _ Death. _

The only way he could escape his pain was through death. It would be the end of it all. He’d finally reach eternal sleep. There would be no betrayal or agony in death.

_ “No!” _

That voice. It was hers, wasn’t it? It was the last thing he wanted to hear, but he felt energy being poured into his body at the sound of it.

Jenos covered his ears. “Just let me die! You’d laugh at that, wouldn’t you? It would be the end to both of our problems.”

_ “Before I met you everything was so cold and lifeless.” _

“Leave me alone. Let me die. I’m so tired...” His eyelids began to droop.

_ “I feel special when you’re with me. You fill my world with color, Jenos! I love your laugh and even the times you’re cruel in your own way.” _

“You’re lying…”

_ “Wake up.” _

"What?”

_ “ _ _ Wake up!” _

Jenos woke up with a start and his breathing halted. He could feel arms wrapped around his neck. His shoulder was wet. He could hear a familiar voice crying.

“Jenos, please! You can’t die after we’ve only just met,” Io wept.

Had she been begging him to wake up this entire time? The sun was already setting. When he looked down he saw that his hand and shirt were covered in blood. There was even blood underneath his claws. He must’ve done it. He also noticed that Io was shaking. Light was emitting from  her body. Jenos touched the bloody part of his shirt and saw that there was no evidence of a wound.

Jenos realized that Io must’ve used everything in her power to save him. For the second time. If there was even a slim chance of her truly caring for him, Jenos wanted to believe it.

Io slumped against Jenos’ chest from exhaustion. The light died. “I need you, so please live! Please...”

“It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere,” Jenos whispered. He stroked her hair and held her tightly, afraid that he might lose her again.

“Jenos…” Io whimpered, then passed out.

\---

“You were so cold by the time I’d found you. There was so much blood and everything smelled of smoke. You died, Jenos. I don’t have the power to bring people back from the dead, but by the stars, you’re alive…” Io mumbled. She held Jenos’ face, staring into his eyes. “And when we first met, you were dead.”

“Are you sure you don’t have some insane hidden goddess power you don’t know of?” Jenos asked.

Io chuckled, “No, silly.” She looked away with a sad smile. “I used to know everything about this world. I’ve lived for eternity and seen all that has happened in the night, but ever since I descended to this earth I’ve known nothing. I used to despise demons, you know. That all changed on the day we met.

I was lost. For the first time in millennia, I saw this world from a new perspective. I was so curious and overwhelmed by all of the sights and sounds and smells, I ran away from my people and trusted companion. I wandered aimlessly soaking in everything I could see, but it was never enough. I knew I wasn’t seeing this earth for its true beauty, so I decided to go back to the people I left behind.

I was met with rules and duties and responsibilities, Jenos. Days before I was just a goddess in the stars enjoying the freedom of the solar system. I make it sound like I was a child rebelling against their parents, but having existed freely for eternity then suddenly being thrust into an unknown world where everyone you knew relied on you, prayed to you, trusted you, respected you, _ expected _ you to act as a leader? The magnificent color of this world began to drain right before my eyes. The sounds smothered. The smells dulled. I worked mindlessly for people I never asked for. They’d simply seen me by accident, and as you know humans, they immediately worship and fear what they don’t understand. Hundreds of lives I was forced to care for. One day I snapped and left.

There was nowhere for me to go but to the stars, and I didn’t want to leave just yet. I still had yet to discover what makes this planet special, but what else was there for me to do? I had already wandered across the lands, traveling through human countries and seeing millions of new species. So I flew into the stars, but before I could leave the stratosphere, a sudden pull stopped me. My body took over and immediately followed the rope that was invisibly tied to me. It led me to this forest, and after a few minutes of wandering, I found you.

The second I saw you I could see everything. My eyes widened in fear and awe, but it was only for a moment because I then raced to save you. You weren’t breathing. You looked so peaceful and happy it seemed to finally cross over to the other side. I thought I’d found something, no, someone who made this planet special, but it was too late. Then… you opened your eyes just as I started to turn away in misery. Realizing that there was still life in you I rushed to heal you. I was so happy and confused, but I understand now.

I’m so selfish… I have the power to destroy planets at my fingertips. I have hundreds of people who worship me every hour of the day. I have the ability to traverse the stars, but what I don’t have is you. My heart died with you, those last two times. I don’t understand why or how I feel this way, but what I do know is that I need you.

I need you, Jenos. I was too afraid to tell you. I’m so sorry. I know that you want to die but I’m too selfish to let you because my entire being would die with you.”

Jenos could only stare. He was at a loss for words, but he felt so warm. He would’ve died if it wasn’t for her. Just being without her for a few hours made him go insane. The feelings he felt, Io felt the same. She’d lied about her race but she hadn’t lied about how she felt. He needed her to live just as much as she needed him.

Jenos didn’t need to respond with words. He pulled her closer and they held each other.

_ She cares… _

_ She genuinely cares. _

_ She’s my escape. I don’t feel any pain when I’m with her. _

_ I don’t have to die. _


End file.
